Less Than A Year After Being Arrested For Stealing A Church Van, Wynonna Judd’s Daughter, Grace Kelley, Got Baptized In That Very Same Church

Wynonna Judd’s daughter, Grace Kelley, has been in and out of jail for the better part of the past decade, mostly related to drug use. She was arrested three different times in 2024 alone, including in April when she was arrested in Alabama for indecent exposure. She was also charged with obstructing governmental operations. Police say she “exposed her breasts and lower body” at the intersection of I-65 and Highway 14, and when confronted by officers, sat on the side of the road and refused to comply. They later added soliciting prostitution to the charges.

In August of 2024, Kelley was arrested in Georgia and sent to Carroll County Jail on charges of fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, driving with a suspended/revoked license, and using motorcycle equipment improperly, public records show. She was released on $2,750 bond. She failed to appear, and a bench warrant has since been issued in the state of Georgia. And lastly, back in October near Charlottesville, Virginia, Kelley was arrested for stealing a church van.

At this time in her life, Grace Kelley’s situation was dire, prompting her mother, Wynonna Judd, to take over care of her two-year-old granddaughter. While it was heartbreaking to see the drugs take hold of Grace Kelley’s life, leading to her not being able to care for her child, a year later, she’s turned her life around drastically.

Grace Kelley recently sat down with The Daily Progress, sharing that after she served six weeks for her arrest in Charlottesville, Virginia, the time she spent in jail not only got her sober but changed her outlook on life. Upon her release, she’s remained sober and became a part of a sober living community in Charlottesville.

“My entire life, the reason I travel so much is I was looking for home. But ever since I came to Charlottesville and I gave my life to God — oh, man, it’s just beautiful. I love it here.”

Ironically, the church van she stole was from the church congregation she is a member of. At the time of the arrest, the pastor of the church said:

And it sounds like that redemptive process is well underway. Talk about a full circle moment. But also, talk about a church living and breathing the example that Jesus set forth in the Gospels… this is what it is all about.

Grace Kelley says that although she was not supposed to go near the church as part of her plea deal, Pastor Kent Hart’s wife reached out to her on Facebook and quickly became friends. Earlier this year, Kelley was baptized in their church. Kelley shared that without Pastor Kent Hart and his wife, Megan, she would still be on the streets living a rough life.

While it’s amazing to see Kelley on a new path, in the interview, she did not have great things to say about her mother. Kelley’s troubles began at a young age when Wynonna Judd’s second husband, D.R. Roach, molested her. In response, her mother brought the whole family together for counseling.

“Then when they found out in counseling what he had done to me, they’re like, ‘Wait a minute. We’re going to report this to law enforcement.'”

Roach was arrested in 2007, and according to the Tennessee sex offender registry, he pleaded guilty to attempting to commit aggravated sexual battery on a minor. Kelley claims that her mother did not divorce him until the news of his crimes came out in the news. At the time of the arrest, the victim’s identity wasn’t revealed.

Kelley also claims that after the divorce, her mother swept everything under the rug and was “never a mother” to her.

“So is my mom rich? Yeah, she’s so rich that she was able to sweep me under the rug and abuse me and then cover it all up. I don’t want to talk bad about my mom, but we’ll just say she’s a good performer. She was never a mother.”

After her mother divorced Roach, her troubles began, and she bounced around from different facilities until the age of 17.

“Between 12 and 17, I was in 14 different facilities.”

The Judd family had a lot of baggage, of course, with Wynonna going through her own struggles as well. Notably, with her mother, Naomi, the other half of legendary country duo The Judds, who sadly died by suicide in April of 2022.

While things might not have been great in the past, hopefully these two can start fresh. Grace Kelley ended the interview with some words of hope that I hope she carries into a fresh start with her mother.

“I’m thankful that we serve a forgiving God. I’m thankful that God is forgiving.”

Pastor Hart adds:

“There’s a lot of victory going on in her life and we’re just continuing to walk with her as we know Jesus would want us to.”

Amen.

The post Less Than A Year After Being Arrested For Stealing A Church Van, Wynonna Judd’s Daughter, Grace Kelley, Got Baptized In That Very Same Church first appeared on Whiskey Riff.